The emperor was shocked by Consort Li's shameless behavior of denying everything and even accusing her. Consort Li, it's a waste of your talent that you're not a storyteller!

In the end, it was the Empress who intervened. She whispered something in Consort Li's ear, and Consort Li looked terrified and quickly confessed.

Everyone in the room was curious about what the Empress had said, but the Empress's voice was so low that only she and Consort Li could hear it. Even the Crown Prince, who was closest to them and had his ears perked up, couldn't hear it clearly.

Just as I was wondering, Chuanwen's inner voice came through: [Hahahaha, Consort Li actually adulterated the Emperor's hair growth tonic! It's not making him grow hair, it's making him lose it! Hahahaha!]

Consort Li froze, glancing outside. "You...you didn't leave?!"

Although Consort Li didn't catch a glimpse of Chuanwen, they could hear her thoughts, so she must be nearby!

Chuanwen hid under the wall where the Minister of Works and the Minister of Revenue had previously hidden. Although she couldn't see what was happening inside, she squatted in the corner, working through the script in her mind, which was almost like watching a live broadcast.

The little princess had already been taken back by the wet nurse. Zheng Yan, holding his sword, leaned against the wall and looked at Chuanwen, who was squatting at the base of the wall a step away, poking ants with a stick and grinning foolishly. A smile appeared on his usually serious face.

As for why Chuanwen wasn't paying attention to the ants but instead poking them with a fork, Zheng Yan guessed that she was afraid that he would think it was weird if she just stood there grinning at the wall, so she poked the ants to cover it up.

However, Chuanwen's ability to conceal his true intentions was still too poor. Zheng Yan's smile deepened even further.

They both had smiles on their faces, but the hall was eerily quiet!

The Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Works, two bystanders, glanced furtively at Consort Li in alarm. No, could it be? Did Consort Li not know how much the Emperor valued her dwindling hair?

Consort Li, tears streaming down her face: I...can I take back what I just said?! So what was the point of her confession?!

Consort Li glared hatefully at the Empress, who looked up innocently at the sky and said, "This is not what I said, it was Wen Yatou who said it!"

Feeling a chill down her back, Consort Li looked toward the source of the sensation and saw the Emperor's eyes twitching, his fierce gaze fixed on her.

The commemorative document hanging at the base of the palace wall was still chuckling: "Why did Consort Li adulterate the Emperor's hair-growth tonic? ...Oh...it turns out Consort Li heard that women with too much hair have difficulty conceiving sons! Hahaha...Consort Li ruined her large penis and wanted to try a smaller one...but the Emperor is over fifty, hasn't he reached the end of his reproductive years yet?"

Chuanwen didn't know at what age men usually reach the point of losing their fertility. He thought for a moment, then thought, "I seem to remember hearing about a man in his seventies who had a child late in life. The emperor is only in his fifties, so he should be able to have children..."

Zheng Yan, standing behind her, momentarily cracked his expression; if it weren't for years of training, he would have definitely spat out his drink on the spot.

However, Zheng Yan managed to hold back, but the Minister of Works and the Minister of Revenue inside the hall couldn't, and one of them choked on his saliva, coughing and coughing!

The emperor's eyes were no longer just twitching; the veins on his temples were throbbing, and his lips were twitching as well. He looked at the two ministers who were coughing from fright and asked coldly, "My two ministers, are you feeling unwell?"

The two ministers immediately shut their mouths in alarm, their faces turning red. However, they both thought the same thing: even if it kills them, they must not cough again!

The Crown Prince glanced at the Emperor, then discreetly glanced at the Emperor's head out of the corner of his eye, and even seriously considered the question of whether hair could affect fertility! He'd have to ask the imperial physician about it sometime!

He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he forgot to look away. When he came to his senses, he met his father's gaze. The crown prince gave an awkward smile, while the emperor practically gritted his teeth.

"Consort Li has framed the Crown Prince; the evidence is irrefutable! Immediately, she is to be banished to the Cold Palace!"

Consort Li, who was blushing and had almost buried her head in the ground, cried out, "No! Your Majesty! I'm innocent! Your Majesty! Your Majesty!"

Consort Li was dragged away. The emperor rubbed his temples. First, the crown prince was drugged and ran rampant throughout the palace, and now he was being questioned about whether he was still able to have children at over fifty! The father and son were too ashamed to even step out of the house!

"Huang Qi! Summon the Minister of Justice! I want him to thoroughly interrogate that Shen Mian!"

The emperor was swallowed by darkness, resembling a tyrannical and incompetent ruler. A smile played on his lips, but his gaze toward Prince Rong was so cold it could freeze a cow to death.

Prince Rong trembled, "Your Majesty...Your Majesty, I am not...I am not...loyal to Your Majesty..."

The frightened Prince Rong couldn't utter a complete sentence. His words became increasingly incoherent, and he finally burst into tears, crying out, "Your subject wants to eat another bite of meat!"

Before I die, I want to eat one last bite of my favorite meat!

The emperor's smile was forced; "I will grant your wish!"

The messenger outside the hall thought to himself: [It's all over! It was just a little drugging of the Crown Prince for fun, why is the Emperor so angry? Why is he trying to shift the blame? Shen Mian is going to be in trouble... And what's wrong with this old Rong? Why does he still want to eat meat? Doesn't he know what time it is? Isn't he afraid the Emperor will slap him across the face?!]

"Zheng Yan! Let's go, let's go!"

Chuanwen threw down the branch, called to Zheng Yan, and ran off quickly, shouting, "Stay away from the emperor! Cherish your life!"

Zheng Yan had already responded and followed beside her.

Inside the hall, the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Works were stunned. "You...you've angered them! They've just run away! What are we going to do?!"

In the prison, Chen Mian wrapped himself in the quilt, rubbed his nose, and felt unusually cold today.

"Huai'er, don't worry! Prince Rong will definitely come to save us!"

Chen Mian moved to the side closer to the Third Prince's cell, wrapped herself in a blanket, squatted on the ground, and looked ingratiating.

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